PROTECTINGAMERICA.ORG E-NEWS |
Building Momentum:
Missouri Catastrophe Fund Gains Ground The Missouri Senate Committee on Small Business, Insurance and Industrial Relations took a major step forward recently to protect the state’s homeowners and help fund first responders by favorably reporting from committee legislation sponsored by Senator Rob Meyer (R-25th district) that would create the Missouri Catastrophe Fund. 'Committee action on this bill moves Missouri a major step closer to ensuring that homeowners throughout the state will be provided with the preparation and protection they need before, during and after a massive earthquake or other natural catastrophe strikes the state,' according to James Lee Witt, co-chair of ProtectingAmerica.org and former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Read More ProtectingAmerica.org National Director Discusses
the Financial Implications of Climate Change In an article describing the effect of global warming on the insurance industry, National Director of ProtectingAmerica.org Ed Collins offers input on the historic achievements of Congress to help combat the alarming trend of unavailable or unaffordable insurance for consumers. 'This is not about insurance companies, this is about consumers,' Collins said, asserting that Congressional action will protect homeowners from rising insurance rates and from rising taxes. He pointed out that the federal government’s 'after-the-fact' approach to the damage caused by Katrina cost taxpayers at least $110 billion. Read More Betting on an Earthquake:
A New Report on Las Vegas’ Vulnerability According to a new report, a major earthquake capable of causing $18 billion in damages and 900 deaths could strike Las Vegas in the next 50 years. About 300,000 buildings in Las Vegas are at risk to suffer major damage and up to 11,000 individuals would need public shelter in the aftermath of a catastrophe. On May 29, ProtectingAmerica.org will host a Town Hall meeting with emergency managers, first responders and seismologists at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Please mark your calendars to join us for this compelling and important discussion. Detailed information will be found at www.ProtectingAmerica.org in the upcoming weeks. Read More National Earthquake Conference Coming to Seattle From April 22-26, the nation’s foremost earthquake experts on earthquake research, safety and mitigation will convene at the 2008 National Earthquake Conference in Seattle. The conference is organized by Washington State University and is funded and supported by DHS/FEMA and USGS. As exhibitors, ProtectingAmerica.org will join the International Code Council, Affordable Safety Solutions, Ready America, and other groups specializing in earthquake research and safety. 'This year’s National Earthquake Conference will focus on building dialogue among emergency managers, earthquake researchers, government officials and business leaders to mitigate losses from earthquakes and increase social and economic resiliency,' said Patti Sutch, Executive Director of the Western States Seismic Policy Council. For more information, visit www.earthquakeconference.org When ‘The Big One’ Strikes Again ProtectingAmerica.org member James Dalessandro responds to reports that California’s Hayward Fault lies in wait to create an earthquake more devastating than the 1906 eruption. Common sense solutions to prepare and protect Californians against the next 'Big One' do exist. Recent reports indicate that a repeat of the 1906 earthquake can cause thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and an unprecedented $1.5 trillion in damages to the Bay Area. A repeat event is a grim and inevitable reality, capable of destroying 3 of every 5 homes, triggering the greatest humanitarian crisis in U.S. history. Municipal institutions would be inoperable, and the fires that charred San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake may rage again. The damage could stretch from Mendocino to San Benito County, a path of 300 miles, slamming a Bay Area population that is ten times what it was a century ago. San Jose has grown from 25,000 to 1 million: Santa Clara County is now three times as populous as monolithic San Francisco was a century ago. Even Sonoma County now boasts a population greater than San Francisco's in 1906. While we cannot prevent the next Big One, there is plenty we can do now to help mitigate the damage. Stronger building codes combined with increased funding to first responders will help to prepare and protect our residents against catastrophe and give us the tools we need to recover. ProtectingAmerica.org believes that a public-private partnership model with state and national catastrophe funds is the best way to financially safeguard ourselves against a repeat of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The U.S. House of Representatives has recognized this need and recently passed legislation (H.R. 3355, The Homeowners Defense Act of 2007) that will help us achieve our preparedness goals. It's now critical that the U.S. Senate act with equal efficiency. These solutions ensure that insurance is available and affordable for every homeowner, so when the unthinkable happens, we are protected. With a fund financed by insurance companies - not our premiums or taxpayer dollars - homeowners are given the means to reinvest in retrofitting. Investment earnings of the funds are reinvested into consumer programs and first responders. Thanks to the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and others, the bill that passed the House of Representatives help strengthen the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). With the national backstop in place, the statewide cost of coverage obtained through the CEA could be reduced by more than $3 billion. That's an annual savings that would accrue to the benefit of homeowners in the Golden State year after year, for decades to come. We know that the next big one is not a matter of if, but when. If it happens tomorrow, our financial and physical infrastructure is not prepared to handle the catastrophe. As the events along the Gulf Coast demonstrated, preparation and mitigation are pennies on the dollar. What are we waiting for? James Dalessandro Read More SEND US YOUR NEWS DO YOU HAVE NEWS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IN OUR COALITION SPOTLIGHT? WRITE US AT ENEWS@PROTECTINGAMERICA.ORG AND LET US KNOW HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION IS WORKING TO BETTER PROTECT AMERICA FROM CATASTROPHE. YOUR NEWS WILL BE ADDED TO THE WEB SITE AND FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING NEWSLETTER. See a list of our coalition members | 
